Bringing you the high-speed motorcycle racing news & action from today with the race photos from yesterday & today.
Having followed AMA Flat Track, AMA Road Racing, WERA & various other series since the early to mid '70s, the adrenaline-fed rush still lives on.
Thanks for making Stu's Shots your one-stop shop for racing news, info & links to the action on & off the track!
ALL shots COPYRIGHT Mike 'Stu' Stuhler (unless otherwise noted.)

Sunday, June 30, 2013

MOB Racing announced today via press release that they will be significantly scaling back their efforts in the Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series. The New Jersey-based team, who had fielded a strong effort in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series during the 2012 season, and in the early rounds of the 2013 season of which the series now goes by AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series.

Fielding riders such as Shane Narbonne (who got the team a win at their home track at NJMP last season), former AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year PJ Jacobsen (who put one of the team's XR1200s on the pole at the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round in August 2012), AMA Pro Flat Track competitor Cory Texter, and Alex Shaw.

In the shot above taken at the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round of the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series event, the MOB team goes about working on the bikes of their three riders for the second-ever event of the XR1200 Series running as the undercard on the premier road racing series schedule at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 19, 2012.

(L-R) PJ Jacobsen's #99 MOB Racing/K Tech/Orient Express/Moroney's H-D-sponsored XR1200, which the former 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year put on the pole in his first outing on the team's machine, Calvin Martinez' #28 National Precious Metals/Martinez Motorsports/Teterboro Rams LLC-backed XR1200, and Shane Narbonne's #46 Teterboro Rams LLC/Newsholme Financial Center/Team Pro Motion-sponsored XR1200 all get their final adjustments made prior to the running of race 2 over the MotoGP weekend held at The Brickyard last August.

We wish the team the best in what efforts they do have planned for the remaining part of the 2013 Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series and hope that they will be able to work out some type of sponsorship in the near future that will allow them to return to the track with more of a solid financial standing.

A big thanks to Roadracing World.com for this press release concerning the announcement today that MOB Racing will be cutting back their efforts in the Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series, of which they have built a strong team in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series over the course of the last couple of seasons. You can read that announcement here.

You can check out MOB Racing's official websitehere as well, as we wish them the best of luck in being able to regain a stronger foothold in the current economic climate in the racing world in hopes that they will be able to return to the track with a more solid economic backing.

LIMA, Ohio (June 30, 2013) - Round 4 of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles at the Allen County Fairgrounds has been cancelled. For the second time this weekend, weather has been at the forefront of problems and has resulted in the cancellation of the Lima Half-Mile. Following another heavy overnight storm, the gravel track at the Allen County Fairgrounds was left in such condition that it was deemed unsafe to race on.

Persistent rains in the Allen County, Ohio area over the weekend has forced AMA Pro Flat Track officials and promoter Dean Gallup to cancel round 4 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Lima Half-Mile. Gallup stated on Flat Track Live on Facebook that ticket holders can contact the track for a refund. AMA Pro Flat Track heads to the Hagerstown Half-Mile on Saturday, July 6 hoping for much better weather then what has been seen now for the last two scheduled rounds of the season. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

"The moisture on the track simply could not be safely prepared for racing," said Dan Johnsen, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track. "We just caught some bad luck this weekend, it's very unfortunate but that's really all it comes down to."

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles, please visit http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

We just returned to Indy from the originally-scheduled Lima Half-Mile after the event was postponed until tomorrow due to very heavy rains in the area that completely soaked the Allen County Fairgrounds facility.

Officials with AMA Pro Flat Track waited until the last possible moment to pull the plug on today's 30th running of the annual Ohio National Championship round of The Rolling Thunder Show, but unfortunately at 4:00 PM EDT there was no more holding back and the event was called a wash-out for today.

We did, however, get to spend some quality time with current points leader Brandon Robinson and his tuner with the TJ Burnett Farms/USC/Hart Racing Kawasaki team, James Hart, and also got to listen and swap some very interesting stories with Brent Armbruster, the new crew chief for the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati/Henry Wiles team.

All was not lost in terms of quality time spent with these great representatives of the greatest racing series on two wheels in the world, but unfortunately not a wheel was turned in anger on the track, only some very quality bench racing and stories shared in the pit area at Lima. And we thank the aforementioned group of great folks for taking time to share some of their best and quality time with us here at Stu's Shots. You guys were some great hosts and I really appreciate the time you were able to spend with me today. That part WAS a blast!

As of now, AMA Pro Flat Track has high hopes of getting practice started tomorrow at 10:00 AM EDT and for the first heat race in the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship Series to roll off at 1:00 PM EDT. And with any luck, we will be there, weather permitting!

Tomorrow's revised schedule can be found here:

Due to today's postponement of the AMA Pro Flat Track event, the event schedule has been updated and posted to amaproracing.com. For your convenience, a direct link to the schedule is below.

LIMA, Ohio (June 29, 2013) - The AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles race scheduled to run today, June 29, 2013 at the Allen County Fairgrounds, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Officials from AMA Pro Racing announced that the event, weather permitting, will take place tomorrow, June 30, 2013, with opening ceremonies beginning at 12:30 p.m. local time and racing scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. local time.

Heavy rains in the area that soaked the Allen County Fairgrounds this afternoon forced officials of AMA Pro Flat Track to postpone round 4 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Lima Half-Mile until tomorrow, June 30. With a 40% chance of showers predicted for the area as of 10:30 PM EDT on Saturday, June 29 we are still hoping to get this event in on Sunday, and are praying for a 60% chance of no moisture for the day's events. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

"It's an unfortunate set of circumstances for this to happen but the track isn't in any shape to race on today," said Dan Johnsen, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track. "We're going to try to give it a go tomorrow and we're optimistic that the weather will help us out."

Gates open tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. with practice scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Fans who are unable to attend the Lima Half-Mile are encouraged to tune into AMA Pro Live. The live streaming devices will put fans in the director's chair, allowing for complete viewing of the event. From the first practice all the way up until the final checkered flag is dropped, tune in to AMA Pro Live to catch all of the action.

About AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles:

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles, please visit http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

Friday, June 28, 2013

After a seven week break since the last round of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Stockton Half-Mile on May 11, the riders and teams that make up The Rolling Thunder Show are ready to roll into the Allen County Fairgrounds inLima, OH. for the 30th running of the Ohio National Championship round of the season.

After the series suffered from another postponement due to rains in the area at the Memorial Day running of the Springfield Mile I round, fans and friends alike are ready for racing to resume on the pea gravel and limestone surface for what should be another stellar event in the greatest racing show on two wheels in the world.

With the entry list boasting the regular names of Jake Johnson, Bryan Smith, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, and 2013 points leader Brandon Robinson, to name a few, the racing is sure to be hot and heavy throughout the afternoon and night as the racing season gets into full swing for the busy summer schedule ahead. And hopefully the weather will cooperate as the Midwest has been seeing it's share of storms over the early part of the late spring-early summer this year.

One absence from the regular list of riders, however, is defending AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees, who was involved in a practice crash at the Ashland, OH. round of the Steve Nace Racing All-Star Series last Friday. Mees suffered a broken ulna in his forearm that is expected to keep him out of the saddle until at least through the Hagerstown Half-Mile round scheduled for July 7, in which time he hopes to return to racing. However, The Champ is expected to be in attendance to check out the racing and help support his fiancé and future wife, Nichole Cheza, throughout the day's events.

If you are anywhere near the Lima, OH. area tomorrow, you owe it to yourself and your family and friends to head to the Allen County Fairgrounds to check out what will be some of the best racing of the season, as it has been for going on 30 years. This is a must-see race for all of your motor heads and motorcycle racing heads!

In the shot above from round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Lima Half-Mile, heat race #2 roars off the line with pea gravel, dirt and limestone showering those left in the shadows.

(L-R): Henry Wiles on the #17 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati, Dan Ingram on the #31J TCR H-D XR750, Bryan Smith on his #42 Moroney's Fasthog.com XR, Rob Pearson on the #27 Memphis Shades XR, Corey Crawford on the #80B Baer Racing Kawasaki and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Harley-Davidson Motor Co. factory XR750 lead the charge. Current 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship points leader Brandon Robinson can just be seen in between Smith and Pearson on the #44 Werner-Springsteen Racing Kawasaki coming off the second row.

So get your gear packed and head out early tomorrow for what will be a great day of slinging dirt at the Lima Half-Mile. First practice rolls off at 3 PM EDT and the first heat race in the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship rolls off at 7:30 PM EDT. Click here for the link to tomorrow's schedule.

And a big thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for their press release preview, which you can read below. Let's go racing folks!

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Riders Roll into Lima

LIMA, Ohio (June 28, 2013) - Round 4 of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is finally here. In less than 24 hours, the stars of the sport will roll out their two-cylinder motorcycles and prepare to grind it out on the uniquely designed pea gravel dirt track that makes up the Allen County Fairgrounds.

Last season, Grand National Champion runner-up Sammy Halbert (South East Harley/Harley-Davidson) claimed one of his four 2012 victories here in thrilling fashion as he and Henry Wiles (Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Harley-Davidson) battled it out all the way to the very end. Halbert outdueled Wiles on the final lap as he crossed the finish line just .22 seconds before the Michigan product and clinched the Grand National Champion Expert Twins main event.

Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing XR750, Bryan Smith on his #42 Moroney's Fasthog.com XR and Sammy Halbert on his #7 Kings Kustoms XR lead the pack off the line during heat race #1 at the Lima Half-Mile in June 2011. Mees, the defending AMA Grand National Champion, will miss this year's event at Lima due to breaking his arm in a practice crash last weekend at the Steve Nace Racing All-Star event in Ashland, OH., but is expected to attend as a spectator. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

After suffering a torn ACL during the offseason, Halbert was forced to miss the first two rounds at Daytona to start the year. However, in Halbert's first event removed from injury, the Graham, Wash. product took full advantage of being healthy as he claimed victory at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, Calif. on the series' first trip out west. The win catapulted Halbert into the top ten in points and the 25-year-old seems to be back to his typical imposing form heading into Lima.

A name that people can't stop talking about so far in 2013 is that of Brandon Robinson (TJ Burnett, USC Kawasaki/Kawasaki EX650), and for good reason. The Oxford, Penn. product is the current Grand National Championship points leader after three strong performances in the season's opening rounds. This weekend will tell a lot about Robinson, who already has one victory to his credit thus far in 2013. The 22-year-old struggled tremendously here a year ago with a 16th place finish in the main event. However, Robinson's new look in 2013 combined with his extra year of experience in the sport indicate that he's here to stay and expects to be a legitimate contender for the remainder of this season as well as many seasons to come.

Brad Baker has tasted the bitter-sweet flavor of second-place on three consecutive occasions this season. Let it be clear that there have only been a total three events this season. The positive side to this is that Baker remains second in the points and only seven points off the lead behind Robinson. The down side to Baker not being able to finish and seal his first victory is simply that; he can't finish. In almost every race, Baker has had his share of the lead and almost every time has seen it disappear in the most crucial moments. Although Baker also struggled at Lima last year, the Dodge Bros Racing Harley-Davidson rider remains as confident as ever and knows that his time is just around the corner.

2013 AMA Pro Grand National Championship Point Standings

1)Brandon Robinson

2)Brad Baker

3)Henry Wiles

4)Jake Johnson

5)Mikey Rush

6)Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.

7)Jared Mees

8)Robert Pearson

9)Sammy Halbert

10)Bryan Smith

AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles

Similar to how Brandon Robinson is an unfamiliar face atop the Grand National Championship Expert point standings, Kyle Johnson (DAO Apparel/Kawasaki KX450F) has been an even bigger surprise in 2013. Johnson, a rookie, took the series by storm immediately by claiming victory at Daytona during Round 1 of action to kick off the season. The 19-year-old sensation raised eyebrows again in Stockton after landing on the podium with a solid third-place finish and currently sits atop the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles point standings heading into Lima. No one knows a whole lot about this kid. But they do know one thing - he can ride.

Stephen Vanderkuur (Parkinson Brothers Racing/Honda CRF450R) is a household name who won the 2012 AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship last season and came into this season as a heavy favorite to repeat. However, after starting off the year with two finishes outside the top ten, Vanderkuur's potential to replicate is looking very slim. The bright side for the Davison, Mich. product is this - Vanderkuur got hot right around this exact time last year; claiming his first 2012 win here at Lima and carrying that momentum for the remainder of the season, winning two more races and obtaining several podiums on his way to the championship. Look for Vanderkuur to be hungry for a strong finish here this weekend in hopes of bettering his 12th place position in the points.

Fans who are unable to attend the Lima Half-Mile are encouraged to tune into AMA Pro Live.The live streaming devices will put fans in the directors chair, allowing for complete viewing of the event. From the first practice all the way up until the final checkered flag is dropped, tune in to AMA Pro Live to catch all of the action.

About AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles:

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles, please visit http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2013) - If AMA Pro followers weren't familiar with Joe Roberts before the Barber Motorsports Park round, they are now. Roberts had never competed in GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing competition coming into the weekend, but the 16-year old now owns two Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport wins after his twin triumphs in Alabama. Roberts, a regular in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in Europe, entered the race for California Superbike School Roadracingworld.com Racing just a few days after turning 16. The Californian led every session of the weekend on his Honda CBR600RR in a truly dominating performance. His debut double is no doubt one for the history books.

After winning the pole, Roberts got a bad start in Race 1, dropping back after wheelie-ing off the line. By then end of the first lap, however, he'd managed to move up to third with only Tomas Puerta's RoadRace Factoy/Red Bull machine and Hayden Gillim's Team 95 bike in his way. On lap two, Roberts zipped by Gillim in the final corner and motored away. His margin of victory was 8.122 seconds after 17 laps. "It's fun to come out and win," Roberts said. "The start of that race, I got, I think, the worst start ever. I wheelied pretty bad off the line and about six riders went by me. I just made some passes and as soon as I got in front I knew I needed to push and go as fast as I could. I ended up getting the gap and I just managed that gap to the end of the race. It was an awesome race and I can't thank my team enough. It's cool to come out and win like this."

Joe Roberts on the #2 California Superbike School/Roadracing World Honda CBR600RR made his Pro debut at the Barber Motorsports Park round of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Series and went out and won both races after setting pole early in the weekend. AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.

On Sunday, Roberts got a better start but still needed four laps to take the lead in a race that saw his fellow competitors up the pace. Roberts got away third behind Gillim and Puerta but then was able to pull a safe gap with a series of 1:29 laps and took his second win of the weekend by 3.690 seconds. "The race was very difficult," Roberts said. "I got an OK start--definitely better than yesterday. I had to work a bit to get up front and once I was in the lead I put my head down. To be honest, I really didn't think this was possible. I thought I'd run top five and that was really my expectation for this weekend. But to come out and win both races and be P1 in every session is like a dream come true -- it's definitely my birthday wish." It's not unusual for riders to take years, if ever, to get their first AMA Pro wins. Roberts will make two more appearances this year, so he'll have more shots to add to his victory total.

Roberts may have stolen the show, but three other riders earned the podium at Barber Motorsports Park. Puerta earned second on Saturday and third on Sunday, finishing 0.004 behind his former teammate Hayden Gillim after 17 laps. Nick McFadden took a solid third in his debut race on Saturday before crashing out on lap 12 on Sunday. Puerta, a West competitor, didn't have any points on the line in Alabama but was pushing hard to add to his win total. He had some serious battles along the way and showed well. "It was a tough race and we upped the pace from Saturday. I passed Hayden but he got me back and once again someone beat me at the line," said Puerta. "I have to start thinking about what I am gonna do for the next round because Daytona and Barber I lost positions at the finish line."

Gillim earned fourth on Saturday and went even quicker on Sunday on the way to second. Gillim led the race early both times out, but on Sunday was able to drag race to the line and beat Puerta to the flag. "It was a crazy race," said Gillim. "I led a couple of laps. We were running low 1:29s throughout the race. I thought I had something for Joe but I made a mistake and he made a good pace. As soon as he got in front, he started pushing, pushing, pushing. I knew Tomas was coming and that he'd try the last lap pass righ there. I left the door open more than I should have but I was able to get it turned and square off the last corner."

Another rider making his GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing debut last weekend was Nick McFadden. McFadden, from the racing hotbed of Owensboro, Kent., qualified on the front row. "I wasn't expecting this at all," said McFadden. "I've been here before. It's basically my home track and one of my favorites."

Wyatt Farris on the Meen Motorsports entry showed even more improvement. Coming off a good weekend in Motorcycle-Superstore SuperSport at Road America, Farris earned seventh on Saturday but improved to fourth on Sunday to take his best result yet and first top five in the class. Miles Thornton had a notable weekend, too. The Columbus, Ga. native qualified second and earned two fifth place results. On Saturday, his fantastic save on the CTR Racing Yamaha proved to be the best catch of the weekend in any class. On Sunday he spent a few laps in the leading pack. Thornton's two best races of the year mean he's now fourth in Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport points. Elkhart Lake double victor Corey Alexander couldn't find the same magic in Alabama, but was able to earn two sixth place finishes and rallied back after a crash early in the weekend on the National Guard/Celtic Racing entry. That meant he closed to within two points of Stefano Mesa for the points lead. "We had a rough weekend from the moment practice started," said Alexander. "I'm happy to have had consistent and decent finishes, which are worth important points towards the championship. It is indeed true that you can't win them all, but I am definitely not happy with 6th place. We will continue to work hard and plan to do better at Mid Ohio."

Mesa felt ill during the weekend and couldn't put up his usual challenge. The Daytona winner could only qualify on the third row before putting the Motosport.com RSRacecraft machine eighth in both races, so Mesa was able to save the championship lead in what could have been a disastrous race meeting. Other riders earned top ten finishes during the weekend, a group that included young riders Gearzy's Ryan Matter, Harv's H-D's Travis Wyman, Charles "CJ" Weaver on a B.P. Racing entry, and CWS CWS Bleakly-Hayes pilot Kaleb De Keyrel in his AMA Pro debut weekend. B.P. Racing's Sebastiao Ferreira earned ninth on Saturday but crashed out of Sunday's race.

Next Up

The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will resume on July 12-14 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio for the Buckeye Superbike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire. For tickets and more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.midohio.com/Schedule/Buckeye-Superbike-Weekend-2013.

This season's GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action is being broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder.

In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend's activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director's chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel at http://www.amaprolive.com.

GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country's finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Weekend Preview of AMA Pro Racing at Barber Motorsports Park

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

Beaubier Extends Lead in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Standings with Two Wins at Barber

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2013) - Round 3 of AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike at Barber Motorsports Park was a big test for Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha's Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier won two of the season's first three races and held a significant championship lead but the last time out at Road America he'd been beaten by Jake Gagne of RoadRace Factory/Red Bull.

Beaubier had looked just about perfect in the first two races of the year, running away at Daytona and pulling away on Saturday at Road America. But on race two, Gagne's challenge was a tough one and Beaubier wasn't able to top his rival. Gagne and RoadRace Factory took it to the factory team in a race with a plenty of riding on the ragged edge. It was over when Beaubier botched a corner with a couple of laps to go. Second was nothing to sneeze at, but Beaubier is on a mission to control GoPro Daytona SportBike and he wasn't happy. So the Californian came into Barber looking to do one thing - double and re-stamp the championship with his domination. He did just that, winning both races over Gagne in clear fashion. Before the races, Beaubier pointed out what he saw as the problem in Wisconsin. He was going so well early on, he and the Graves team left the bike alone rather than adjust the settings. He also said it wouldn't happen again. After winning pole, Beaubier managed to lead all but four total laps (all at the beginning of the two races) on the way to two more wins. Beaubier moved to the front then pulled out his patented push to get away both times. On Sunday morning, his team made more changes and Beaubier changed to a Dunlop medium rear tire rather than the soft he raced on Saturday. He now leads the points battle by 28 as the midpoint of the seasons nears.

Cameron Beaubier on the #6 Yamaha Extended Svc/Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6 pulled off the double win at round 3 of the season at Barber Motorsports Park in the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike Series. Heading into round 4 at Mid-Ohio over the July 12-14 weekend Beaubier has a 28-point lead advantage over title rival Jake Gagne. AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Beaubier is in a high stress position in 2013. He's charged with winning the championship for Yamaha and after winning seven races in 2012, anything less than the title would be somewhat of a disappointment. But at Barber Motorsports Park, and at the other 2013 races, Beaubier has proved he has what it takes. Four wins and a second place are fantastic results. "I tried to get a good pace going and halfway through I tried to do some 1:27s," said Beaubier. "I was able to pull a gap. I felt like I was a lot more consistent on Sunday," Beaubier commented. "We made a couple of changes to the suspension and that helped. I felt really good and I want to give it up to my team. They gave me an awesome bike and now we'll move on to Mid-Ohio." Good riders take advantage when they have an advantage and Barber is one of Beaubier's better tracks. He doubled in Alabama during 2012, too. Beaubier also won at Mid-Ohio last season.

Gagne was strong in Birmingham but not quite strong enough to top Beaubier. He managed to stick with his rival on Saturday until Beaubier wicked up the charge. A crash in the warm-up meant he was battered for Sunday's race. He took care of business with everyone but Beaubier despite two sore legs, however, to earn more points. "I had totaled my 'A' bike so the team put some of the 'A' stuff on the 'B' bike and we raced that," said Gagne. "I got off behind Cameron (Beaubier) and about halfway through he took off. I had banged up my feet so I was feeling some pain. After he took off, I just managed the gap behind me. Second place is pretty awesome no matter what."

On Saturday, Alabama resident Jason DiSalvo earned a fine third on the Latus Motors Racing Triumph Daytona 675R. The series veteran made his presence known with a spirited ride that saw him lead the opening two laps and looking exceptionally racy doing it. "It was a really good race and I'm really happy to be back on the box. It has been a long time and what a fitting place to get back up there at my home track," said DiSalvo. Jason Disalvo from the Triumph SuperBike Classic at Barber. "After the struggles we had, to make that much progress from Elkhart to here was really something. We had a test and worked pretty much exclusively on the balance of the bike."

On Sunday, RoadRace Factory/Red Bull's JD Beach earned a spot on the box after a tough battle with Garrett Gerloff. Beach, third in points, improved on Saturday's fifth place and continued his trend of finishing in the top five at every GoPro Daytona SportBike race so far in 2013. The dirt track ace held off his fellow Yamaha pilot by just 0.229 after 21 laps, a situation complicated by a penalty to Gerloff. "Both races I had some fantastic battles. In race one, Dane (Westby) and Garrett (Gerloff) kept my race very busy. We had a race long battle, with Dane barely edging me out and myself beating Garrett by .003 at the line. While going over data after the race with Scott (Jensen) we knew we had the pace to run at the front. Overnight Scott and Danny (Anderson) worked their magic on the bike and had it working great Sunday. We had a great battle once again, but this time it was between Garrett and the clock. He jumped the start so he received the mandatory five-second penalty, but during the race he had a bit of a gap on me. I was running fourth and trying to run him down and we both kept putting fast lap after fast lap in. Even though I was within five seconds, I wanted to pass him to really get third. With three laps to go my chances where almost blown when we came up on a pack of lappers and I lost two seconds. On the last lap I had to go all out and was able to get third by 0.2. After all the hard work Scott and Danny put in over the hot weekend it felt really great. I can't wait to get back on the bike at Mid-Ohio."

Gerloff finished just behind Beach both races. Saturday saw him just 0.003 behind Beach and Sunday a jump-start penalty cost him a spot. The two have seen a lot of each other on the track in 2013 and it will be interesting to see which young rider can come out on top at the next round at Mid-Ohio. "I didn't really think I jumped (the start) that much, but I did get the holeshot, and I figured I was going to get the penalty," said Gerloff. "I tried to stretch out a lead because I knew that I would have to make up the deficit. I felt like I rode a much better race than yesterday, but the start definitely messed things up for me. But, we'll re-group and look for better results in Ohio."

Dane Westby had a solid event on the GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing Honda, taking fourth and fifth place results as he continues to find his form after the Daytona injury. "We had the pace to run at the front," Westby said after Sunday's race. "With the little mistake we made in the beginning, it really lit a fire under me. Every time someone in front of me made a mistake, I saw it and smelled blood in the water. I just tried to make the best of the situation. I tried to pick off as many guys as I could. I thought I might even been able to get J.D. Beach in the last few laps after he ran into some traffic."

James Rispoli earned seventh and sixth in Alabama as the class rookie continues to impress in his first year in the class. So far in 2013, Rispoli has avoided the struggles many young riders experience in jumping to the GoPro Daytona SportBike class. Rispoli had finished seventh in each GoPro Daytona SportBike race of the year before improving one spot on Sunday. "The weekend was full, with plenty of ups and a few downs. Overall though, another great step in the right direction," said Rispoli. "The motorcycle, the team, and I are becoming more and more accustomed to GoPro Daytona SportBike. Race two on Sunday we had some very consistent laps, and we were only six seconds off the podium. We need to work on a few more things, and we will be fighting for some podiums." Another young rider showing progress was Benny Solis on the M4 Sportbike TrackGear.com Honda. Solis earned 10th and ninth in Alabama, flipping what former Daytona 200 winner Joey Pascarella accomplished on the Riders Discount Racing Triumph Daytona 675R.

Next Up

The 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season will resume on July 12-14 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio for the Buckeye Superbike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire. For tickets and more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.midohio.com/Schedule/Buckeye-Superbike-Weekend-2013.

This season's GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing action is being broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the CBS Sports Spectacular. Fans can find CBS Sports Network on their TV by using the channel finder at http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder.

In addition to the live broadcasts on CBS Sports Network, AMA Pro Live will be live streaming multiple channels of behind-the-scenes video of the weekend's activities alongside Live Timing & Scoring. AMA Pro Live puts fans in the director's chair, allowing them to choose from a variety of viewpoints including track cameras, paddock cameras and a press conference channel at http://www.amaprolive.com.

GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America and is universally regarded as one of the most competitive road racing organizations in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of nine rounds of competition on the country's finest road courses. The Series is comprised of four production-based classes: AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. Learn more about GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing at www.amaproracing.com/rr/.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Weekend Preview of AMA Pro Racing at Barber Motorsports Park

Jason Disalvo from the Triumph SuperBike Classic at Barber

About AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

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The King

The 4-1-1

Fan of all racing, but the bikes are what makes the adrenaline flow and the rush set in.
In what started as an attempt to share and scrapbook my racing catalog, I have since streamlined my coverage to give a more updated and behind the scenes look at motorcycle racing from the eye of my camera and from my perspective as a long-time fan.
So stay tuned for coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track and Road Racing, along with some of the other series that showcase the great sport of 2-wheeled high speed racing!
You can e-mail me @: stuman714@yahoo.com